Charlie docs not baddies
Was there ever a more heartbreaking dilemma than the one posed by Charlie Gard?
Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where the 11-month-old is being treated for a rare genetic condition, have bowed to worldwide pressure and asked the High Court for the legal go-ahead to treat him with a new drug.
If he were my child I know I would fight as hard and as long as his parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates and leave no stone unturned to give him a chance to live.
But there is also a part of me that feels for the Great Ormond Street doctors who’ve been cast as “baddies” in this tragic situation.
They originally said Charlie was in great pain and should be allowed to die with dignity – and all the courts agreed.
His parents say he is not in pain and want him treated. I am sure everyone involved has suffered great anguish in reaching their opinions. My heart goes out to them all.
David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, really got my back up this week when he said a “white, upper middle class man” shouldn’t have been appointed to lead the Grenfell Tower inquiry.
He suggested Sir Martin MooreBick had never visited a tower block, adding it was a “shame” that a female or an ethnic minority judge hadn’t been picked instead.
I thought, hold on a minute, what has the fact he’s white and posh got to do with it? Is Mr Lammy seriously claiming this makes the man incapable of emotion and empathy in the face of a national tragedy?
I believe in judging people on their merits, not their skin colour.
Sir Martin, a retired Appeal Court judge, is an expert in complex commercial law, which surely makes him eminently qualified for this job, especially as it turns out 60 different contractors were involved in Grenfell’s deadly refurbishment.
That’s a lot of contracts to go through with a fine-tooth comb. And if the victims are to get justice, expertise is as vital as empathy.
But David Lammy’s comment does raise a bigger, broader, more troubling issue, which is that almost all our key decision-making institutions are led by people like Sir Martin – white, male, Oxbridge graduates from upper middle class backgrounds. THAT is what’s unfair.
Just look at Parliament. If there ever was an institution that lacked diversity, it’s that one. As a British Muslim woman, from a working class background, with immigrant parents, I look at our politicians and think, who represents me?
Who will understand the obstacles I have had to deal with?
Who will appreciate that after working harder than most I am still subjected to institutional racism?
I’m not suggesting white middle class men can’t speak on ethnic minority issues. They can, and they do. But to the exclusion of people who’ve suffered because of those issues? I don’t think so.
The 2017 election saw 10 new MPs from non-white backgrounds elected, taking the total in the Commons from 41 to 51. We would need 100 to be truly representative of the UK’s ethnic mix.
The number of women has risen to 208 from 191. Out of 650 MPs, 43 are now openly LGBT. So things are moving in the right direction. We now have the most diverse parliament ever, but when you look at the numbers, it’s still nowhere near representative.
Why? Often it comes down to who can afford to run for office.
It costs about £34,000 to stand as an MP and involves a lot of travelling up and down the country and a lot of time away from your family.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that a teacher with kids from Manchester on £24,000 a year might find it hard to get into politics.
So my message to those criticising Sir Martin is this: if you are so keen on diverse communities being representated in law, the police, the media and politics, focus on pulling down bars to entry so people from all colours and backgrounds get equal access to opportunities.
Because until you do, it will nearly always be rich white guys that get the job.
As a little kid, I loved the hilarious TV witch created by Carol Lee Scott, who died this week.
When she was on, even my poker-faced dad would crack a smile.
She was the kind of character kids never forget because her performance was even more colourful than her face.
So thanks for all the laughs, Grotbags. May you rest in peace.